Contact eyeglass construction



Oct. 3, 1933. B W|LHELM CONTACT EYEGLASS CONSTRUCTION Filed May 14, 1931 INVENTQR BY 9 ATTOR N EY5 Patented Oct. 3, 1933 PATENT OFFICE .UNITED STATES My invention relates to improvements in contact eyeglass constructions, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrange- 'ments herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved lens construction which is adapted to be attached to the eyeball so as to hold a lens adjacent the comea at all times and move with the eyeball.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which may be constructed of a transparent, flexible material which may adjust itself to the eyeball and not cause injury thereto.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction of the type described in which both the lens and the rim may be made of a flexible, transparent or translucent material.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flexible hollow lens adapted to be filled with a fluid having a refractive index approximating that of tears.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lens construction which will not break easily.

A further object of my invention is to provide a shatter-proof eyelens construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lens construction which will not irritate the eyeball.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lens construction, the marginal rim of which need not be uniformly perfect in shape.

A further object of my invention is to provide an eyelens construction, the rim of which can accommodate itself to a large number of eyeballs of approximately the same size and shape.

A further object of my invention is to provide a "ready-made lens construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lens rim which will permit the lens to be interchanged.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view showing one form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view of one modification of my invention, and

Figure 4 is a modification of my invention employing a shatterproof lens.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of lens portions 1 and a rim portion 2. The two portions may be made of certain forms of espe 0 cially treated cellulose, such as, for instance, the more transparent forms of celluloid. The lens portion 1 and the rim portion 2 may, if desired, be formed of a thin concave inner section 4 and a thin concave outer section 5. Each of these 65 portions may be moulded or otherwise formed so as to provide a suitable hollow lens cavity 6 adapted to be filled with a suitable liquid 7 which may have a refractive index approximating that of tears. The two sections may be secured together in the rim portion as indicated at 8 and 8'. I may provide on the inner side of the inner section openings 9 and 9' for the purpose of filling the hollow section 5 with the suitable liquid 7. In use, the openings may, if desired, be left open and the space 10 between the cornea 11 and the lens portion 1 also filled with a suitable liquid.

The thin lens portions 1 of the sections 4 and 5 may be made as thin as is consistent with their retaining substantially their original form. The thinness of these portions is such that it permits the use of substances which are not absolutely transparent and which would appear to be only translucent if they were made of a greater thickness. The cavity 6 may extend between the inner sections 4 and 5 into the rim portion 2 as is indicated at 12 for the purpose of providing an added resistance to my construction.

In Figure 3 I have shown a modified form of my device in which a glass or celluloid lens 13 and a flexible rim 14 are utilized. The rim 14 may be made of any suitable material, such as rubber or nitrated cellulose. The lens 13 may be provided with a convex edge 15 and the rim 14 with a concave edge 16. These two edges may be joined and held together in any suitable manner, such as, for instance, by the pressure of the concave edge portion of the rim 14 acting against the convex edge portion of the lens 13.

In Figure 4 I have shown another form of my invention in which a shatterproof glass lens 1'? is used. The lens 17 consists of two lens portions 18 and 19 held rigidly together by a layer 20 of suitable substance, such as celluloid. The layer 20 may be secured to the portions 18 and 19 in the same manner as are other forms of shatterproof glass, such as, for instance, by heating the celluloid layer and pressing the curved lens portions is and 19 tightly together. If desired, either of the lens portions 18 and 19 maybe omitted and the remaining lens, if cracked, will remain attached to the layer 20 in such a manner as to prevent the lens from seriously endangering the eye.

I claim: An article of the class described comprising a lens and a cup shaped lens retainer adapted to BENJAMIN L. WILHELM. 

